The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-11-09
ROMANCE OF A THIMBlE.

KOMANCE Uf "A IHlMDuU.
The Story OF "Uncle" Dolsen's
Early Love Affair.
Time and again l had noticed on old
"Uncle" Dolsen's chimney piece q
small but very heavy sewing thimble'
from which the outer plating OF pre-
cious metal had been stripped away
and the heavy base of brass left bat,
tered, corroded and black. 1t stood
partially hidden amongst variega'ed
array of bright ears of red and yellow
corn, wisps of golden barley and OK
traordinary kernels of wheat, choice
samples of the last years harvest; and
these mingled with some bits OF old
fashioned delft and All antique image or
two that betrayed the hand OF the pot
ter rather than the sculptor-such bits
of bric-a-brac as would make glad the
heart of our devout aesthetic OF to-day
had they been found on a like black
ened and dishevelcd mantle-piece In
any corner of the old world. instead OF
in a pioneer dwelling on the banks OF
n Western river, for the smokes OF
half q century had found it nearly
as convenient to drift up the outside
as the inside of the old brick fireplace,
and the mud hinked walls of the old
log house, the scanty pieces of furni-
ture and "Uncle" Dolsen's face had all
taken on smoky tone of coloring
that harmonized beautifully. as the
modern school of culture would put
1t.
But the Thimble! There it stood,
day after day, through spring, sum-
mer, autumn and winter, unmoved
unless iostled an inch or two to right
or left when the dry seeds were taken
down for planting or another choice
handful from the latest harvest wa:
added to the stock. For there were
no women folk around "Uncle" Dol
sens domicile to execute q semi-an'
nual maelstrom, otherwise known as
house-cleaning.
And there "Uncle" Dolsen sat
alone, when his days work was done
in a great homemade arm chair on :
cushion of shriyen corn husks, let
ting the simple incidents of his fit,
years of rural life march past hin
in the dancing fire-glare, until tn
procession of events must have be
come as monotonous and mechanical
as the movements of the woodel
figures in the street musicians box
There he sat, until the ashes at his fee
became so deep as to pain the sensi
bili,ics of even bachelor Housekeeping
Then ne would gather them up an
carry them out as tenderly as if the
were the sacred ashes of those memo
ries of tho past that had fitted befor
him in the freight.
Everybody along the river kne'
that "Uncle" Dolsen had had his earl
love affair. for was he not single an
eccentric, but none knew the particr
lars of it. although the events had a
transpired in the neighborhoot
Though the course of his love had nj
run smooth its Interruptions were ne
such as to catch the eye of the rur
gossips; but to Uncle" Dolsen, 81
ting by the fire-side in the ancestr
log house, they were events that ha
turned the whole current of his Ii
aud made him an ambitionless an
loveless old man.
Uncle" Dolsen's earliest memori
were of the intimacies that existed b
tween his youthful self and the on
other child of his fathers household,
bright-eyed sprite Of girl of abo
his own age. but so utterly unlike hi
in every feature and characterize
that it was almost impossible to rega7
them as brother and sister, II
isolated country life of the two Oh
dren was one in every thing, Janet g
ing with Van upon expeditions S
would never have undertaken HI
there been any brothers or boy col
panions. AS it was he became jane
hero, rs she became the object OF
his boyish chivalrics. Together III
engaged in every task and every a
venture, divided every pleasure al
shared every pam.
1t was thus until they had reach
those first years of boy and girlho
when other love than that of broth
and sister disturbs the fancies OF
innocent days, and Van and Jan
who had often declared, with chi
hood facility for adjusting all thint
their intention to be man and W
when they grew big, began
realize that i'll the natural order
events they were likely to make 9th
attachments that meant the sund